WINTER CONTINGENCY is an official United Nations Space Command emergency plan that deals with situations where Covenant forces have become aware of or are invading a . It was first mentioned in the UNSCDF Instruction EM-277 on March 10, 2526. On Reach, WINTER CONTINGENCY was supplemented by the WINTER CONTINGENCY Declaration Supplemental Orders, a series of additional directives for ONI agents. Civilian interference with a Spartan deployment during the WINTER CONTINGENCY and the war itself appears to be punishable with at the least imprisonment (Carter insinuates this to Doctor Halsey when she threatens to have Kat imprisoned for trying to access Professor Sorvad's Data Module at the end of ONI: Sword Base).